Box plate



July 2, 1940. J. JOHNS@ 2206843 BOX PLATE File# Nov. 9, 1939 INVENTOR, JAMES JOHNSON.

BY QMA ATTORNEY.

Patented July 2, 1940 BOX PLATE James Johnson, Saco, Maine, assignor to Draper Corporation, Hopedale, Mass., a corporation of t l Maine l Application November 9, 1939, serial No. 303,629

5 Claims.

The present invention pertains to shuttle boxes for fly shuttle looms and more particularly relates to front box plates for such shuttle boxes.

The usual shuttle box ofthe type mentioned comprises front and back box platesxed to a `loom lay, each box plate comprising an elongated body having a shuttle guiding surface. The shuttle guiding surface of the front box plate commonly consists of a exible lining, such as leather, iixed to one side face of the box plate.

The leather'lining commonly .extends forwardly across the inner or entrance `end of the box plate. The shuttle box is of properwidth, forwardly and rearwardly of theloom, to grip and thereby check the shuttle. when the latter is properly directed. The shuttle box is, however, so narrow that a forwardly mis-directed shuttle will not enter the box but will strike the inner end of the `front box plate.

The usual loom shuttle is provided with a steel t tip which must be kept reasonably sharp. It is found `that under certain weaving conditions, particularly with high speed looms, the shuttle is frequently mis-directed in alforward direction far enough that the sharp steel tip of the shuttle will strike the inner end of the front box plate.

l If the lining ofthe front box plate extends forwardly across the said inner end, the point of the shuttle makes holes in the lining and soon renders it unt for service. In many instances, the lining must be'removed and replaced solely because of this damage by the shuttle tip, the lining being `otherwise `still in good condition. The omission of the forwardly extending part of the lining prevents said damage to the lining,`

but is even more objectionable because the shuttle` tip is then damaged by` striking the metal body of the box plate. A rigid, and particularly a metal guard or cover for the lining would be similarly objectionable.

A principal object of the present invention is` to provide a front box plate for ily shuttle looms as aforesaid, which boxplate shall have a yielding, non-metallic cushion fixed thereto and extending across the inner endxthereof, to receive and cushion the impact of a forwardly misdirected shuttle, to thereby effectively prevent the box plate or shuttle tip from being damaged having thevpreferred embodiment of my improved front box plate applied thereto; and

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the inner end portion of said preferred front boxplate.

Thedrawing shows only a shuttle and the right hand end of a loom lay with a shuttle box including my improved front box plate, the rest of the loom being of any suitable usual construction forming no part of the present invention. The lay includes a lay beam I which is mounted on swords, of which right handsword 2 is shown,` for reciprocation toward and from the front of the loom. The front of the loom is toward the bottom of the drawing on Fig. 1.

A iy shuttle 3 is picked from side to side of 15 the loom, along the lay beam I, by anysuitable mechanism including a picker stick Il. The ends of the shuttle are tapered as indicated at 5 and are each provided with a sharp steel tip 6 as is usual. The lay `has a shuttle box at each end thereof, of which only the right hand shuttle box isshown. 'I'his shuttle box includes a back box plate 'I which has its inner end fastened to the sword 2 at 8 and its outer end .fastened to the lay beam at 9. The back box plate 'l has a shuttle 25 guiding surface I0. which is positioned in a vertical plane extending longitudinally of the lay and shuttle box. i

The shuttle box shown also includes a front box plate. 'Ihis box plate comprises an elongated metallic body II, commonly of cast iron, which is adaptedto be attached to the loom lay. To` this end, the body II may have an ear I2 having a slot I3 for receiving ascrew I4 for attaching the inner end of the box plate to the lay. The outer end of the body II may have a slot I5 for receiving `a similar attaching screw II.` The body II hasa longitudinal shuttle guiding surface on one side face thereof. As shown, this surface comprises a strip I'I of exible material, preferably leather, lining the rear face 40 of the body I I. The lining strip is stretched taut and cemented or otherwise secured to the body II. Theinner end of the strip I'I extends forwardly at I8 across theinner end I9 of the front` box plate. 45

`'I'he box plates are so positioned that therespective shuttle guiding surfaces I0 and I'I are spaced apart just far enough to properly receive the shuttle 5 when the latter properly enters 50 the shuttle box. However, it often happens that the shuttle 5 is so improperly thrown that the tip thereof will be directed well forward of the longitudinal center line of the shuttle box. In fact, the shuttleis at times mis-directed, forwardly, 55

to the extent that the tip 6 strikes the inner end of the front box plate, thereby damaging the forwardlyextending part I8 of the lining Il. The present invention provides means for effectively preventing this damage to the lining l1.

In accordance with the present invention, dam- K age to the part i8 of lining I1, or to the shuttle tip 6 if'such part should be omitted,` is prevented by means of a cushion which is fastened to and extends across the inner end of the body Il.

- The particular cushion shown comprises a reis fixed 'to the inner end of the body fll in any suitable manner, as by rivets 23, and the rearward end of the cushion is `preferably left free.

The cushion just described extends entirely across the inner end of the body lvl and completely covers theforwardly extending part f8 of the lining, so that a forwardly mis-directed shuttle will strike the cushion andzcan not strike any other part of the inner' end of the front box plate. The cover.2,l being non-met'allic, it can not damage the shuttle tip i5. Neither is the cushion objectionably damaged by the shuttle tip, because the resilient pad 20 yields to .absorb 'the impact of the rshutt'le and thereby prevents the shuttle tip 6 from penetrating the cover 2l to an objectionable depth. This action of the cushion takes place when the-'shuttle tip 'strikes the cushion squarely. The rearward end of the cushion is positioned in longitudinal alignment with the shuttle guiding surface Il' and as abovey noted, is rounded and is free to yield. The result is that if the shuttle is only slightly mis-4 directed as shown by Fig. l it will be camrned or guided rearwardly and therefore may become properly boxed in the shuttle box. The `yielding cushion is found to be much more effective in deflecting a slightly mis-directed shuttle than was the rigid rounded inner end of prior front box plates. Y l

Having fully disclosed the preferred embodiment of my invention, I claim:

1. A front box plate for Vthe shuttle box of a fly shuttle loom, said box plate comprising an elongated body having means whereby it is adapted to be attached to a loom lay, said body having a longitudinal shuttle guiding surface on one side face thereof, and a yresilient cushion fixed to the inner end of said body and extending across said end with its rearward en dpositioned in substantial longitudinal alignment with the shuttle guiding surface of said box plate, whereby said cushion receives the impact of a forwardly misdirected shuttle.

2. A front box plate for the shuttle box of a fiy shuttle loom, said box plate comprising an elongated metal body adapted to be attached to a loom lay, said body having a longitudinal shuttle guiding surface on one side face thereof, and a cushion fixed to theV inner endl of said body and extending across said end in position to receive the impact of a forwardly mis-directed shuttle, said cushion comprising a resilient pad positioned within a folded strip of fiexible, nonmetallic material.

3. A front box plate for the shuttle box of a fiy shuttle loom, said box plate comprising an elongated metal body adapted to be attached to aV loom lay, said body having a shuttle-engaging lining comprising a strip of flexible material fixed on one side face of the body andextending forwardly across the inner end thereof, and a cushion fixed to said inner end of said body and covering the forwardly extending portion of said lining, said cushion comprising a pad of nonmetallic resilient| material positioned between vertical folds of a strip of fiexible fibrous material, whereby said cushion is adapted to receive the impact of a `forwardly mis-directed shuttle.

4. A front `box plate for the shuttle box of a fly shuttle loom, said box plate comprising an elongated met'al body adaptedto be attached to a loom lay, said body having a vlongitudinal shuttle guiding surface on one side face thereof, and a resilient, non-metallic'cushion extending across the inner end of said body, the forward part of said cushion being fixed to said body and the rearward part thereof being free to yield under the impact' of a forwardlyr mis-directed shuttle, the rearward end of said cushion being horizontally rounded and terminating substantially in longitudinal alignment with said shuttle guiding surface.

5. A front box plate for the shuttle box of a fly shuttle loom,lsaid box plate comprising an Y elongated -met'al rbody adapted to be attached to a loom lay, said body having a shuttle-engaging lining `comprising aA leather strip fixed along one 

